Latch and lock device for containers



Mmmm- Feb. 13, 1962 c. s. GEHRIE 3,020,742

LATCH AND LOCK DEVICE FOR CONTAINERS Filed March 7, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet1 .4' f m INVENToR. Za/fles S Gfezjze,

Feb. 13, 1962 LATCH AND LOCK DEVICE FOR CONTAINERS Filed March 7, 1960llllllll I/l/ lll/ 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3,020,742 LATCH AND LOCK DEVICE FORCONTAINERS Charles S. Gehrie, Montclair, .N..`., assignor to Presto LockCo., Garfield, N .J a limited partnership Filed Mar. 7, 1960, Ser. No.13,243 4 Claims. (Cl. 70-69) This invention relates to releasable latchand lock devices for luggage and like containers of the kind having acover section hinged to a body section for closing the latter; thepresent invention having reference more particularly to improvements ina latch or lock device of the kind disclosed in my co-pendingapplication for United States patent, Ser. No. 792,526, led February 11,1959. As disclosed in said prior application, the latch and lock devicecomprises a pivot bar adapted to be aixed to one of the separable partsof a container, adjacent to an edge thereof, a latching bar adapted tobe affixed to the other of the separable parts of said container inspaced parallel relation to the pivot bar, and a body member pivotallyconnected with the pivot bar in a scissor like manner, in a planeparallel to the face plane of said pivot and latching bars; said bodymember and latching bar having cooperative latching means operative tohold the separable members of the container in closed together relation,when the body member is disposed in longitudinally aligned relation toand over the pivot and latching bars, but being released from suchholding relation when the body member is turned on the pivot bar toextend transverse to the lengths of said pivot and latching bars.

The present invention has for an object to simplify the structuralmake-up of a latch and lock device of the kind above referred to.

A further object of the present invention is to provide improved detentmeans operative to yieldably hold the body member in its respectivelatching and released positions.

Another object of the present invention is to provide simplied keyactuatable means for locking the body member against releasingmanipulation.

Other objects of this invention, not at this time more particularlyenumerated, will be understood from a reading of the followingdescription of the improved latch and lock device in connection with theaccompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof,in which drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the latch and lock device of the presentinvention as operatively mounted on and for securing separable parts ofa container closed together, the device being shown in latchingposition.

FIG. 2 is a plan view similar to that of FIG. l, but showing the latchand lock device released and the separable parts of the containerseparated.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the latch and lock device viewed inthe direction of the arrow 3 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the latch and lock device in latchingcondition, taken on line 4 4 in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an exploded bottom plan view of the parts comprising the bodymember of the latch and lock device.

FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of the latch and lock device, similar tothat of FIG. 4, but showing the same in released condition.

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken on line 77 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view in horizontal plane, taken on line 8 8 inFIG. 7, showing a key actuatable lock bolt released; and FIG. 9 is afragmentary view, similar to that of FIG. 8, but showing the lock boltactuated to lock the body member against releasing manipulation.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view, taken on line 10-10 in FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings, in which like characters of States Patetreference indicate corresponding parts, a container, which can be aluggage case, comprises a body section 11 and a cover section 12 toclose the former, a latch and lock device 13 being provided forreleasably holding said sections closed together.

The latch and lock device comprises a pivot bar 14 having rearwardlyprojecting rivet studs 15, or other suitable fastening means, by whichit can be aflixed to one of the separable parts of the container, e.g.to the body section 11 adjacent and parallel to a free edge thereof; alatching bar 16 having rearwardly projecting rivet studs 17, or othersuitable fastening means, by which it can be affixed to the otherseparable part of the container, e.g. to the cover section 12 inparallel relation to a free edge thereof, and so as to be spaced fromand parallel to the aforesaid pivot bar; and a body member 18 which ispivotally connected by a pivot element 19 to the pivot bar 14, so as toturn in a scissor-like manner upon and relative to the pivot andlatching bars. The latching bar 16 is provided intermediate its endswith a suitably located external upstanding latch lug 20.

The body member 18 is preferably of oblongate rectangular form, and ofhollow construction open at its bottom face, thus having side walls 21and end walls 22. At one end of the body member, the juncture of a sidewall 21 and an end wall 22 is cut away to provide a latch lugentranceway 23 leading into the interior of said body member. Formedwithin the interior of the body member to be unitary therewith, andpreferably as an integral part thereof, is a latch boss 24, the freemarginal edge of which provides a latching shoulder 25 of arcuate form.This latching shoulder 2S extends inwardly from the end wall side ofsaid entranceway 23, and eccentric to the pivotal connection of the bodymember with the pivot bar 14, so as to be opposed to the pivoted side ofsaid body member. Said latching shoulder is terminated at its inner endby a stop boss 26 disposed within and unitary with said body member.Being eccentric to the pivotal connection of the body member with thepivot bar, said latching shoulder 25, when operatively engaging thelatch lug 20 of the latching bar 16, exercises a camming effect upon thelatch lug, whereby to draw the container sections tightly together, whenthe body member is turned to its latching position shown in FIG. 1.

The body member 18 is provided with a bearing boss 27 which ispositioned within said body member opposite the inner terminal end ofthe latching shoulder 25. This bearing boss is provided with a seatingsocket 28 to receive the pivoting end of the pivot element 19, thelatter having a diametrically enlarged flange 29 to seat in anenlargement 30 of said seating socket 28, so that said flange is ilushwith the surface of the bearing boss 27, with the anchoring portion 31of the pivot element 19 projecting therefrom (see FIG. 10). Seated uponthe bearing boss 27 is a combined keeper and detent inlay plate 32. Thebearing boss 27 is provided with a plurality of projecting rivet studs33, which extend through the inlay plate 32, so as to be riveted overthe same, thus to fixedly secure the inlay plate in supported overlyingattached relation to said bearing boss 27, and over the flange 29 of thepivot element, thereby rotatably mounting the body member on the pivotelement 19. The free edge 34 of the inlay plate 32 is concentric to thepivot element 19, and is opposed in spaced away relation to the latchingshoulder 25 of the body member. Projecting radially from the free edge34 of the inlay plate 32 is a stop shoulder or tongue 35, whichoverhangs the inned end portion of the latch lug passageway 36 thatborders the latching shoulder 2S. The anchoring portion 31 of the pivotelement 19 is disposed in an opening 37 with which the face Wall of thepivot bar 14 is provided, and is suitably afxed to said pivot bar. Thus3 the body member 18 is pivotally connected with the pivot bar 14 forturning movement relative thereto.

The pivot bar 14 is provided with an external lock bolt engageableabutment element 38, which projects into the interior of the body member18 at the inner end of the inlay plate 32. Preferably said abutmentelement 38 is provided, in the side thereof toward the inlay plate, witha groove which receives and embraces the marginal edge of the inlayplate, thereby, in addition to the pivotal connection 19 preventingoutward displacement of the body member 18 relative to the pivot bar 14.This abutment element 38 cooperates with the stop shoulder or tongue 35to limit the turning movement of the body member to its releasingposition, as well as to cooperate with the body member locking meanshereinafter described.

In the use and operation of the latch device as thus far described, thebody member 18 can be turned clockwise from its latching position, asshown in FIG. 1, to a released position transverse to the `lengths ofthe pivot and latching bars, as shown in FIG. 2, whereby, in the latterposition, the latch lug 20 of latching bar 16 will be disposed at and inalignment within the entranceway 23 of the body member passageway 36(see FIG. 6). When the body member 18 is thus disposed in such releasedposition, the cover section 12 can be opened out from the body section11 of the container, thus Withdrawing the latch lug 20 out of and awayfrom the body member 18 (see FIG. 2).

To close and latch the container sections the cover section 12 is closedupon the body section 11 whereupon the latch lug 20 of latching `bar 16is entered in the entranceway 23 adjacent the outer end of the latchingshoulder 25 of the body member 18. This having been done the body memberis turned about its pivotal connection with the pivot bar 14 incounter-clockwise direction. This turning movement of the body memberengages the latch lug 2l) by the latching shoulder 25 so that the formerrides along the latter until stopped by abutment against the stop boss26, thus opposing the inner end of the latching shoulder 25 to the latchlug 20, so as to prevent outward movement of the closed cover section 12relative to the body section 11 of the container (see FIGS. 8 and 10),while at the same time positioning the body member in parallel andoverlying covering relation to the pivot and latching bars 14 and 16. Inthus turning the body member 18 to such latching position, theeccentricity of the latching shoulder 25 exerts pressure upon the latchlug 20, whereby to draw and hold the cover section 12 in tightly closedrelation to the container body section 11.

The pivot bar 14 and body member are provided with novel cooperativedetent means operative to yieldably retain the body member in itsrespective latching and released positions. To this end, the pivot bar14 is provided with an internal chamber 39 opening out from the bottomthereof. Seated on the underside of the top wall of the pivot bar,within the chamber 39, is a leaf spring 40, through the seated endportion of which extends the anchoring end portion 31 of the pivotelement 19, said end portion 31 being riveted over the leaf spring 40,thus not only aixing the latter to the pivot bar 14, but also furtherserving to retain the body member 18 in operative non-separableassembled relation to the pivot bar 14. The free end of the leaf spring40 thrusts against a check piece or ball 41, which projects outwardlythrough an opening l42 `with which the top wall of the pivot bar 14 isprovided, whereby said check piece or ball 41 is opposed to marginalportions of the inlay plate 32 carried by the body member 18. Said inlayplate is provided with suitably disposed and spaced apart detentopenings 43 and 44, that are adapted to be engaged by the check piece orball 41, whereby to detain the body member 18 in its respective latchingand released positions. If desired, the inlay plate 32 may also beprovided with an arcuate raised detent rib 45 the respective ends ofwhich can be abutted by the detent piece or ball 41 to determine therespective latching and released positions of the body member 18. Thedetent openings 43 and 44 may alone be provided, or the detent rib 45may alone be provided, or both may be used to supplement each other indetaining effect.

The pivot bar 14 is provided at one end thereof with an outwardlyprojecting gate boss 46 which is formed to enter and close theentranceway 23 of the latch lug receiving passageway 36, when the bodymember 18 is disposed in normal latching position.

In most cases it is desirable to provide the latch device with keyactuatable means operative to lock the body member 18 againstunauthorized releasing manipulation, when in container closing andlatching condition. To this end, the interior of the body member 18, atthe end portionthereof which is opposite to its latch lng receivingportion, is subdivided by transverse partitions 47 and 48 and alongitudinal partition 49, whereby to provide a lock `bolt seatingchamber 50. A lock bolt 51 is slidably supported within said chamber 50and is retained against outward displacement therefrom by a cover inlayplate 52, which is secured in place by a plurality of rivet studs 53, orother suitable fastening means, with which the interior of the bodymember 18 is provided. The partition 48 is provided with an opening 54,through which the operative end of the bolt 51 can be projected toengage the abutment element 38 of the pivot bar 14, when the body member18 is disposed in its latching position, thus obstructing manuallyaffected turning movement of said body member to its released position.To effect shifting of the bolt 51 from withdrawn to operative advancedlocking position, and vice versa, the top wall of the body member 18 isprovided with a rotatable key barrel 55, through which a suitable key(not shown) can be entered for operative engagement with the lock bolt51. For cooperation with the inserted key, the lock bolt is providedwith a forward key engageable projection or shoulder 56 to receive thethrust of a turned key. To yieldably retain the lock bolt 51 in eitherwithdrawn nonlocking or advanced locking position, the body member 18 isprovided in connection with partition 47, with a stop nosing 57 that isengageable by a rearward projection or shoulder 58 with which the lockbolt is provided. In order to urge the lock bolt 51 toward the stopnosing S7, the bolt is provided with a spring arm 59. This spring arm 59bears against the longitudinal partition 49 (see FIGS. 8 and 9). Anopening 60 is provided in the cover inlay plate 52 to facilitateaccurate disposition of an inserted key, ready to engage and advance orretract the lock bolt 51, as the case may be.

Although provision of the locking means is usually desirable, it will beunderstood that the same may be omitted in any embodiment of thisinvention which is desired to merely provide latching effect.

Having now described my present invention, I claim:

1. A latching device for releasably retaining separable parts of acontainer or the like closed together comprising a hollow longitudinalpivot bar adapted to be affixed to a marginal edge portion of one ofsaid parts parallel thereto, a pivot element carried by said pivot bar,a hollow substantially rectangular body member having the marginalportion of one of its long sides superposed upon the pivot -bar andhaving an internal bearing boss to journal said pivot element, wherebyto rotatably support said body member for scissor-like movement relativeto said pivot bar, the journaled end portion of the pivot element havingan enlargement countersunk in the bearing boss, an inlay plate seated onand affixed to the bearing boss and over said enlargement of the pivotelement and concentric to the latter, whereby to retain said body memberagainst separation from the pvot bar, a longitudinal latching baradapted to be affixed to a marginal edge portion of the other of saidseparable parts in spaced away parallel relation to the pivot bar,whereby the marginal portion of the other long side of the body memberwill overlie said latching bar when the container parts are closedtogether, a latch lug carried by the latching bar, said body memberhaving an internal latch boss providing a latching shoulder opposed tothe pivotal connection of the body member to the pivot bar and dening apassageway between said latch boss and inlay plate adapted to receivesaid latch lug for engagement by said latching shoulder, a stop boss atthe inner end of the latching shoulder and engageable by the latch lugof the latching bar to limit turning movement of the body member to itslatching position, an end of the body member having a latch lugentranceway to said passageway, detent means comprising a check pieceradially offset from the pivot element and projecting exteriorly fromthe pivot bar toward the body member, a leaf spring supported within thepivot bar to exert thrust against said check piece, and said inlay platein the body member having detent means cooperative with said checkpiece, whereby to yieldably retain said body member in its respectivelatching or Ireleased positions.

2. A latching device according to claim 1, including a key actuatablemeans to lock the body member against releasing manipulation.

3. A latching device ,according to claim 1, including a key actuatablemeans to lock the body member against releasing manipulation comprisinga chamber in the body member at an end portion thereof opposite itslatching means, a key actuatable lock bolt slidable in said chamber,said body member having a rotatable key barrel to receive a lock boltactuating key, said lock bolt and body member having cooperative meansto yieldably retain the lock bolt in respective retracted or operativeadvanced position, and said pivot bar having a lock bolt engageableabutment element to project into the body member .interior to receivelocking engagement of the key advanced lock bolt, when the body memberis disposed in its latching position.

4. A latching device according to claim 1, wherein the pivot bar isprovided with an abutment element to project into the body memberinterior adjacent to the inlay plate, and said inlay plate beingprovided with fa stop tongue radially projecting from its periphery andadapted to engage said abutment element, whereby to limit turningmovement of the body member to its released position.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 904,375Teese Nov. 17, 1908 1,176,969 Lane Mar. 28, 1916 2,422,723 Fisher June24, 1947 2,541,980 Vincent July 11, 1950 2,586,005 Colonna Feb. 19, 19522,595,436 Abdullah et al. May 6, 1952 2,720,772 Atkinson Oct. 18, 1955FOREIGN PATENTS 21,713 Great Britain Sept. 24, 1912 733,565 France July11, 1932 UNITED STATES yPATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE 0F CORRECTION PatentNo. 3,020,742 February 13, 1962 Charles S. Gehrie It is hereby certifiedthat error appears in the Vabovernzlmvvered petent requiring correctionand that the 4said Letters Patent should ,read as corrected below. 4

'Column 1, lil-1e 211 after "barn insert` to turn thereon,

signed andv `sealed 'this 12th clayy of' Jue19v62. i

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST w. swIDER DAVID LLADD Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents

